A variety of materials have been reported which demonstrate synergism with kappa-carrageenan. These include locust bean gum which, when blended with carrageenan, gives water gels with a more gelatine-like texture and decreased syneresis when compared to pure carrageenan gels.
It has now been found that the endosperm of the cococut (Cocos nucifera) when blended with kappa-carrageenan gives firm elastic hydrous gels demonstrating outstanding synergism. This invention embraces all gels in which these two components are present in quantities (on a dry, fat-free weight basis) of at least 1 part coconut endosperm per 10 parts kappa-carrageenan, and at least 0.1 parts in total of coconut endosperm and carrageenan per 100 per water.
Fresh coconut endosperm has typical nutrient distribution of water (35%), oil (44%), protein (6%), sugars (7%), fibre (3%) and ash (1%).
It has been found that the endosperm can be used directly in food systems together with carrageenan to give the desired gel texture. Alternatively it can be used in the form of a defatted dried flour or as full fat desiccated coconut to give the same effect.
Freshly prepared endosperm has the highest degree of gelling functionality but more degraded materials can be used if the concentration is adjusted. Examples of degraded materials include excessively heated or enzymatically treated endosperm where the cellular structure of the flesh is partially destroyed to facilitate coconut oil recovery from copra. Degradation may also occur during the preparation of copra. Copra is sun dried coconut endosperm. When the sun drying conditions are poor, microbial spoilage may degrade the coconut flesh.
To obtain an acceptable elastic gel, there is no significant upper limit to the ratio (expressed on a dry, fat-free weight basis) of carrageenan to coconut, but the preferred ratio is from 1 to 200 parts of coconut for each 10 parts of carrageenan. The most preferred ratios are between 5 and 100 parts of coconut for each 10 parts of carrageenan.
There is no significant upper limit to the preferred total concentration of carrageenan and coconut (on a dry fat-free weight basis) but the preferred concentrations are in the range 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of carrageenan and coconut added to 100 parts water. The most preferred range is 0.5 to 5 parts to 100 parts water.
These ratios refer to the use of good quality, dry, fat-free coconut material such as the material prepared in Example 1 below. If degraded material were to be include either as a portion or the whole of the coconut component of the gel then levels greater than the preferred levels described above may be required to give the desired effect, and this invention includes the use of equivalent quantities of degraded materials.
The gel according to the invention can incorporate meat or other nutritious material to constitute a gelled food product. It can be heat treated by pasteurization or sterilization.
The gel according to the invention can also be used in the processing of foodstuffs or animal feeds. The invention also provides a process for 1. An elastic hydrous synergistic gel containing, on a dry, fat-free weight basis at least 1 part coconut endosperm per 10 parts kappa-carrageenan and at leat 0.1 parts in total of coconut endosperm and carrageenan per 100 parts water.
If a galactomann- or glucomannan- containing material is to be additionally included in a gel according to the invention, as discussed below, the material is additionally dispersed in the water along with the coconut endosperm and carrageenan.
The following examples describe the methods of preparation of the coconut together together with the process for using the coconut material and the attributes of the products obtained. In all examples the level of inclusion of any coconut material are adjusted to the inclusion levels of the fat and moisture free material described in Example 1.